UPSIDE DOWN EXCELLENCE

Quality that's simple

Hey Reader

Concept:

Quality becomes "cool" when it's simple, effective, and delivers real results, without feeling like extra work.

At the ASQ World Conference, someone asked:

My answer?

But let’s be honest—many organizations still see quality as a burden or a cost. Something they have to do, not something they want to do.

But as Philip Crosby said:

You only pay for poor quality.

You inspect because you can’t make it right the first time.

If people really understood that, who wouldn’t want quality?

If companies really believed that, quality would be the center of everything they do.

​

Was this email forwarded to you?

So why isn’t quality cool today?

Let’s break it down:

• Extra work – People see quality as more requirements. More tasks. More work.
• Lack of understanding – They don’t know how to build quality into the process.
• Complexity – The language is confusing. The requirements feel overwhelming.
• Misunderstood benefits – They don’t see what they’ll actually get from it.
• Resistance to change – “We’ve always done it this way” still rules the day.
• Lack of leadership – If leaders aren’t talking about quality, why would anyone else?
• Broken reward systems – People get rewarded for speed, not quality. So quality takes a back seat.

So how do we make quality cool again?

We don’t do it by demanding compliance or pushing checklists.
We do it by showing how quality makes work better.

It’s like Simon Sinek says about magical ripples.

​

The secret?

Make one process work.

Just one.

Make it simple. Make it effective. Make it deliver results without extra effort.

And when you do?
People will notice.
Leaders will ask.
Other teams will want the same.

When quality starts delivering quietly, reliably, and efficiently—that’s when it becomes cool.

​

If this is something you'd like help with, reply with "Quality is Cool" and let's get started!